Social Services
Social Worker
Social workers support vulnerable people — connecting them to resources, counseling, and advocating on their behalf. Among the most meaningful and emotionally demanding careers.
Median salary (BLS)
$55,000
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$40k – $85k
Job outlook
+7% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $87,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Social Worker
Education
Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
BSW to start; MSW (master's) needed for clinical roles.
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateLicense requiredCost to qualify
$40,200–$151,000
Time to qualify
5 yr
Renewal
$75/yr
- 1
Bachelor's degree
DegreeFour years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.
$40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source
- 2
State license — supervised hours + exam
LicenseMost counseling and social-work roles (LCSW/LPC pattern) require supervised experience hours and a state exam.
$200–$1,000 · 12 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Social Worker" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Junior Social Worker
Entry / Junior
$40,000
~2 yrs to advance
Social Worker
Established
$55,000
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Social Worker
Senior
$70,000
Key skills
A typical day
- •Assess client needs
- •Connect people to resources
- •Provide counseling and support
Fields of study
Social Work · Psychology · Sociology
Top colleges for Social Services
Explore all- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
- Columbia University4% admit · $103,000 grad pay
- University of Wisconsin–Madison49% admit · $72,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.
Related careers
Other careers from this field of study
Mapped by field-of-study code (Social Work, Psychology, Sociology), not by job-title guessing.